Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 272: Traces of the Unseen

"Lumi, quick—find Lisbeth!" Cielo shouted before sprinting away.

Lumi stood frozen, still dazed. "W-what? What do you mean? Hey, wait—what’s going on?"

Cielo glanced back mid-stride. "The tower is empty! There’s no one here! We have to find Lisbeth before it comes back."

The weight in Cielo’s voice sent a jolt through Lumi. She instinctively understood. The air around them—once thick with tension—felt eerily light now as if something had vanished.

Whatever danger had lurked here was gone—at least for now. Just as Cielo had said, this was their one chance to find the princess before whatever being it was returned.

Lumi sprinted in the opposite direction, determined to cover as much ground as possible between the two of them. With the immediate threat gone, her senses sharpened, and the strength that fear had stolen from her returned.

The first-floor chambers were empty. Not a single trace of life remained as if no one had ever been there. The kitchen—the last place occupied by the dwindling servants—was abandoned. Dust coated the cooking tools, and unwashed dishes sat forgotten, frozen in time.

On the second floor, Cielo encountered much of the same emptiness. Most chamber doors were shut, their hinges stiff with time. When she forced a few open, she found nothing but dust and silence. The ones that remained tightly sealed seemed untouched for years.

As she moved deeper into the corridor, something changed. The air felt different. The hallway was noticeably cleaner—not up to the palace’s standards, but compared to the rest of the desolate northern tower, it stood out.

The windows were intact, but something was... off. The air near them shimmered unnaturally as if disturbed by an unseen force. Frowning, Cielo reached out, her fingers barely grazing the glass before—

"Ah!" A sharp sting sliced her skin. She yanked her hand back, cradling the painful spot. "A magic seal...?" she murmured, studying the faint, invisible barrier pulsing against the windowpane.

Pushing the thought aside for now, she continued down the hall until she reached a chamber with its door flung wide open. A cold feeling crept up her spine.

"Lumi! I think I found something!" she called, her voice echoing through the empty tower.

But she didn’t wait. Cautiously, she stepped inside. Even though the immediate threat had vanished, she knew better than to let her guard down.

The room was dim, shrouded in shadow. The curtains were drawn tight, despite it being nighttime.

The candles were unlit, their wicks cold to the touch. How long had this room been left in darkness? If someone had been living here, they would have needed light.

As her eyes adjusted, Cielo ventured deeper into the room. The stillness pressed against her, thick and heavy. When she reached the far end, she grasped the curtains and pulled them open. frёewebηovel.cѳm

And then she saw it. A body lay motionless on the floor.

At that moment, Lumi skidded to a stop just outside the doorway, breathless. "What is it? What did you find?" she panted, her voice sharp with urgency.

Cielo didn’t answer immediately. She stepped closer, crouching down beside the still figure. Carefully, she turned them over. Lisbeth’s face came into view.

Cielo looked up, meeting Lumi’s wide-eyed gaze. "I think we’ve found the princess."

***

"Why is she so heavy? Is she—dead?" Lumi groaned as she struggled to walk backward, nearly losing her balance.

"Hush! Have you lost your mind, saying things like that?" Cielo snapped, shooting her a sharp glare. "She’s full of power—that’s why she’s so heavy."

Lumi huffed. "That makes no sense."

There was no logic or science behind powerful people being physically heavier when unconscious. Cielo was just saying whatever made her feel better.

"Just hold her properly and keep your mouth shut!"

It wasn’t the kindest response, but Cielo’s nerves were fraying. Deep down, a small, terrifying part of her feared Lumi might be right. But she refused to believe it. The Lisbeth she knew was strong—there was no way she would just die like this.

"Easy for you to say," Lumi grumbled. "You’re walking forward while I have to split my focus between holding her and making sure I don’t trip and fall on my ass."

She definitely got the worst end of this impromptu rescue mission. If she had Lisbeth’s legs, it would’ve been easier, but somehow, she had ended up with the awkward job of holding the princess under the arms. Lisbeth kept slipping, making it even harder.

"Why don’t we switch? I don’t think I can hold her much longer," Lumi huffed.

Cielo groaned. "Ugh! Really? Now?" She glanced around warily. "Let’s get out of the tower first, then we’ll switch. We need to move—fast."

Lumi wanted to argue, but exhaustion was already pressing down on her. With a resigned sigh, she nodded and kept moving.

They moved as quickly as they could toward the central tower, only stopping when they reached safety to switch positions. As soon as they carefully set Lisbeth down, a servant rushed toward them.

"My goodness! Your Highness!" she gasped, eyes wide with alarm. "Shall I fetch help?"

"Yes, please," Cielo answered without hesitation.

The servant hurried off and soon returned with two guards, who carefully lifted Lisbeth and carried her towards her chambers. Meanwhile, the servant went to summon the royal physician. Cielo and Lumi followed closely, staying by their friend’s side as she was laid onto the bed.

Not long after, the physician arrived and quickly assessed Lisbeth’s condition. His expression darkened. "She’s been poisoned," he announced grimly.

He immediately turned to the servants, giving one of them a note with his handwritten instructions. "Fetch these herbs—quickly. They must be brewed in a very specific way." One of the servants nodded and rushed off without question.

The physician then addressed another servant. "She must drink the remedy every hour. Make sure the liquid flows down her throat."

The servant nodded attentively.

"It will induce vomiting," the physician continued. "But given her weakened state, she may not be able to do so immediately. If she coughs in her sleep, don’t panic—just help her sit up so she doesn’t choke."

The servant straightened, clearly memorizing every instruction.

Finally, the physician turned to Cielo and Lumi. "Once she vomits for the first time, she’ll regain consciousness, but it will be brief and sporadic. That’s normal—her body is fighting to recover. Let her rest, but inform me the moment she reaches this phase. I’ll prepare the next treatment to fully purge the poison from her system."

Cielo and Lumi exchanged a worried glance but nodded. They would do whatever it took to ensure Lisbeth recovered.